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United Arab Emirates

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

By taking a post in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) you will have the opportunity to experience a new culture, a new way of life and a new outlook. UAE appeals to those candidates with a sense of adventure who want to take one or two years out to experience life in a foreign land. There are great opportunities for career advancement and education in UAE with a number of good Training centres and language schools including Healthperms/GHR’s own language school based in Dubai.

UAE was formally established on 2 December 1971. It is a constitutional federation of seven emirates; consisting of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Each emirate is ruled by hereditary emirs, who together form the Federal Supreme Council and is the highest legislative and executive body in the country. One of the emirs is selected as the President of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE occupies an area of 83,600 sq km along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. To the west is Qatar, Oman is located to the north and east with Saudi Arabia to the south and west. The capital and the largest city is Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the two centres of commercial and cultural activities and present the largest opportunities for Healthcare workers. Islam is the official religion of the UAE, and Arabic is the official language. The United Arab Emirates is a diverse and multicultural society largely as a result of the mix of locals and foreign workers who want to experience both the career opportunities and the lifestyle UAE offers.

You must first register with one of the following three major health care providers: Ministry of Health, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi, or Dubai Health Authority. The process is complex. GHR Recruitment will work with you to support you throughout the process.

English is the working language in the hospitals. Translators, and ward clerks who act as translators, are always available to assist in communicating with patients who do not speak English. Healthcare staff quickly picks up basic Arabic phrases related to their jobs and some hositals offer staff the opportunity to learn spoken Arabic, should they wish.

Your co-workers will be from around the world and this serves to illustrate the opportunity to work with colleagues from other countries. These include Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanese, South Africa, the Philippines, Malaysia, and more.

The social life is what you make it. Recreational activities include: shopping festivals; boat cruises; desert safaris; horse/camel racing; golf; sand-boarding; etc. There are a number of active filipino groups in UAE.

Yes. Women are allowed to drive in the UAE when in the UAE on a Residency permit. They first need to obtain a UAE driver’s license. When in the UAE on a visit visa, they can drive on an international driving permit.

Clothing – “regular” clothing, and high-end designer clothing and sportswear is easy to find.
Bathing Suits – these are easier to find in the UAE than in Saudi Arabia, but you will want to bring at least one with you.

Electronics – electronic stores abound, selling the latest in computers, audio, and video equipment. Videos and DVDs are also available, but these may have been censored.

Jewellery – jewellery shopping in the gold souqs is very popular for expatriates (and locals) and rarely does an expat leave without a sizable gold collection.

Alcohol – although the UAE is a Muslim country, purchasing and drinking alcohol in a licensed club, bar, or restaurant is legal for non-Muslims who are over 21. To buy alcohol for home consumption one must have a personal liquor license, which can only be obtained once the person has residency status, which can take 4-8 weeks. The cost is approximately 105 Dh (approximately $30US). (Obviously, while drinking is permitted as described, being drunk and/or disorderly in public is not permitted!)

English-Language Books – English reading material can be found at book stores and grocery stores.

The UAE has a wide variety of restaurants, allowing expatriates to go on a culinary world tour, sampling Arabic, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, Mexican, Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, etc. cuisine. Supermarkets provide all the sorts of food which you are accustomed to buying at home. Fruit and vegetable souqs (markets) provide excellent fresh produce, although fresh produce is also readily available at supermarkets.

People transfer their money off-shore, since no interest is paid on accounts in the UAE. Any bank will transfer money for you, as this is common practice for expatriates. Most people only keep basic spending money in their UAE account.

A person can apply for internet access from home once they have obtained residency status and obtained a personal phone line. There are also internet cafes in the cities and computers at the hospital. All internet traffic in the UAE is processed through centralized servers that filter content that is contrary to Islamic values, so some sites will not be available, such as those with sexually explicit content, some entertainment sites, etc.

About

GHR Healthcare Recruitment is world-class providers of medical professionals to the UK and the MIDDLE EAST. We believe in sourcing the highest quality of candidates for our clients and providing an equal standard of service for our candidates..